


A Duke in prince's clothing

by Ironicprincessemo



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:27:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25980568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ironicprincessemo/pseuds/Ironicprincessemo
Summary: Remus wants deceit to notice him after svs so he acts more like his brother
Relationships: Eventual demus
Comments: 27
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

Remus didn't like what he was seeing as he observed the court room scene, namely one thing deceit flirting with his brother and his brother flirting back with his sexy snake

Well if Remus was splitting skulls deceit wasn't technically his or his at all but that wasn't the point. To say remus was green with jealousy would be both fitting and an understatement

It was time to pay a visit to his brother

"Hello goody two brain cells"

"Oh go away remus I'm far too meloncoly to pretend i like being in the company with the likes of you" roman said sprawled out on a fainting couch like the drama king he was

"Ah what I can't ask my brother for advice now?"

"In previous experience not without getting serious head trauma on my part no" 

"It's so much more fun that way though" remus whined

"Not for me" roman said finally sitting up

"Why does dee like you and not me? " remus said voice barely audible at the end of the sentence he hated seeming weak in front of his brother but even he knew he needed roman's help on this. he was far from an expert on the subject hell he barely understood the feelings he had for the snake side they were nothing like he had felt before dispite feeling like this for a very long time

Roman laughed. he fucking laughed. loud and unashamed it was the same laugh roman used when he used to make fun of virgil making remus's blood boil

"Something funny brother?" remus growled

Wiping literal tears from his eyes from how hard he was laughing roman answered "you have a crush on deceit and you actually think you have a shot. He likes me!"

" we're twins what do you have that I don't?"

"we're polar opposites" roman cried "deceit clearly likes sophisticated and charming" he said gesturing to himself "you're immature and alarming to say the least"

"If you want the smallest chance you're going have to be more like me" 

"Why would I want to do that?" remus scoffed he hated his brother

"because I'm the one he likes" roman smirked smugly " free advice: talk less smile more" he said quoting Hamilton 

"Well at least if we're polar opposites I know I'm not an asshole" remus said slamming roman's door behind him

He didn't need roman's advice he and dee had been friends a long time and remus had just never had the courage to tell him how he felt

Better strike while venom was poisonous

Remus made his way to deceit's room and knocked on the door

"what" janus opened the door he looked exhausted. tie half undone hat abandoned and hair dishevelled that still made him undeniably attractive not that he wasn't that way 99% of the time  
"Err hey I" 

"Remus leave me alone I don't want to hear one of your nightmarish ideas right now" and with that he shut the door in remus's face

Ow that stung dee had never slammed the door on him before

remus trudged back to his room and on his bed neatly as if to tease him with it's perfectness was something that made remus want to scream. A book. Not just any book one of roman's old books  
The title in big bold letters across the front

A PRINCE IS ...  
the handbook of rules and etiquette for Royals  
Roman received the book on his 11th birthday and from that day he read it cover to cover every night and took it with him everywhere. Remus had hidden the book from roman one day just to mess with him and it hadn't ended well

Remus had expected roman to be annoyed with him of course. To threaten to tell patton and then remus would give the book back unharmed and that would be the end of it

What remus hadn't expected was roman to cry genuine tears and not only crying but hyperventilating and shaking and panic and when remus had realised what he'd done nothing he said or did seemed to help him in fact it only made whatever was happening to him worse. even showing him that the book was indeed unharmed did nothing like roman couldn't see it 

Little did they know that was roman's first ever panic attack and roman had of course calmed down with Patton's aid but the twins weren't as close after that when remus had left what roman didn't know was Patton haf told to leave  
And while they had obviously had disagreements in the past that book seemed to have been the turning point before the slippery slope in their relationship or lack thereof

The book so significant that the cover had been emblazoned on remus's memory long after roman had moved on. the book gathering dust on roman's shelf 

So There was no mistaking it.  
This was the same book. 

Except there was a post it note on the back it read  
'thought you could use a little help' 😛 prince Roman

His twin was mocking him

His mind filled with the possibilities of what to do with the stupid book  
Rip it in to tiny pieces of confetti and trash his brother's room with it  
Light the book on fire and watch it melt away to nothing or he could eat it like he done with some of logan's books

But instead of doing any of that he sat on his bed opemed the book and began to read 

If he could get deceit to notice him in a positive way changing himself would be worth it he'd do anything for the snake side. even this.

So remus stayed up all night and studied each page in a way that could rival logan taking his own notes and highlighting key points

But the first if wanted he wanted to change his image he needed to change up his outfit


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hope you like it leave constructive feedback if you want 😊

Just down the hall there was another who couldn't sleep janus stared up at the celling too overwhelmed by the day's events for sleep to take him 

He had been summoned inadvertently by Thomas when Patton had unintentionally forced his excitement about the wedding on to thomas and even after he had been found out for impersonating logan he'd been allowed to stay. that's where the good news stopped he'd forgotten that the other sides were how could he put it - complete idiots and not to mention completely biased even after he got thomas to admit what he truly wanted - the callback roman had swooped in and saved the day in the only way he thought he could completely go against deceit and make thomas believe he was still a good person by forcing him to attend the wedding apparently no amount of fake flirting or stroking the Prince's ego could change his mind and the conversation hadn't ended much better turning his innocent metaphor about not letting his empathy blind him and stop him from achieving his goals into suggesting thomas commit assault and battery as well as robbery

But how could he call the others idiots when he did something so stupid himself. he'd sunk out still full of anger and frustration at the light sides and what had he done? took it out on his best friend calling his ideas that deceit actually loved to hear most of the time nightmarish and slammed the door in his face  
Now he hated himself would remus be angry at him? upset? had he just thrown their relationship away over a throwaway but inexcusable comment

Their completely platonic relationship of cause not that janus hadn't thought about dating the creative side. they already acted like a married couple anyway and told each other everything. his stomach flipped lightly at the thought

But they were best friends it was completely normal to think something like that right?

He glanced at something out the corner of his eye he smiled dispite himself the dead flower on his dresser as dead as the day he got it the day he'd met remus

Patton and deceit had never seen eye to eye and after Patton logan had refused to listen to why thomas should lie after he broke his grandmother's vase and Thomas had gotten in serious trouble deceit had left the mind palace'tired of not being listened to

He set up his own living quarters (sure it was threadbare but it did the job) he still did weekly walks around the mind uto make sure the sides did their jobs

2 days before Thomas's 10th birthday deceit had heard a terrifying scream and saw a flash of light and from his place in the shadows he saw creativity was now two sides one wearing a green sash the other wearing red both unconscious on the ground deceit had left quickly after that

But it was not until a year ll and a half later when the two sides crossed paths

Deceit had finished his check of the mind palace and he was about to head back when something urged him to keep walking though he didn't know why. there was not much that side of the mindscape 

He kept walking until something caught his eye in the distance 

A tree. A tree that certainly hadn't been there before. sticking to the shadows he came closer 

The tree was a large apple tree but it was dying rot spreading up the trunk and it bared no leaves or fruit the grass beneath it was just as dead but from the ground dead black and red flowers grew they looked like they were bleeding but they were strangely beautiful  
And curled up in a ball face hidden in amongst the flowers was a boy that if he had to guess was slightly younger than him

He was wearing black and green and suddenly his mind flashed back to the night just over a year ago

The terrifying screams and the flash of light

It was him. The other creativity but why was he here far from the common room or the imagination and had he been crying deceit thought as he looked at the other's red eyes 

"Whose there?" the boy called to the darkness he'd been noticed

"Hello" he said trying to keep the nerves from his voice

"Oh thank buts there is someone there I've not gone fully insane just yet "his voice was high pitched but not in a squeaky way it was also chipper but didn't hide the underlying sadness in it" but that doesn't answer my question "who are you?" 

"I'm /not/ deceit" he cursed himself as he told the compulsive lie he couldn't help it especially when he was nervous like he was now

"Hi but where are you I can't see you step in to the light so I can see you" 

"That's a /good/ idea" he drawled

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

"When people see me they /don't/ get scared because of the way I look" 

Deceit realised that this creativity could understand him and his habitual lying and that realization made him unbelievably happy 

"I scare people too especially Patton I scared him so much the bleeding heart told me to leave so here i am.   
" So i won't be scared i promise stab my heart and hope to die" he said as well as doing the gruesome actions

The boy hadn't told a single lie from what he could tell so reluctantly he stepped out of the shadows  
"woah, are they real?" gesturing to his scales 

"Yes why wouldn't they be?" deceit said the surprise enough to keep him from lying

"they're so pretty" the green side exclaimed completely oblivious that deceit's face felt like it was on fire his face the same shade of the flowers

"thank you? " deceit said a confused and stuttering mess "wait you didn't say patton kicked you out?" 

"Yep left for the wolves. do you think there are ravenous wolves or monsters here? Slobbering and snarling beasts to devour sides who wonder too  
far that would be so cool" he rambled seemingly excited at the prospect of being in danger

Deceit had dicided to humor him " who knows? You don't want to be eaten by a beast do you. you better come with me" 

"Never heard of stranger danger i don't know a thing about you" he said following deceit anyway and he had said it more out of amusement than actual concern

Deceit turned to face the other "well I could say the same about you you know more about me than i know about you

" Let me introduce myself then I'm creativity call me remus"

"Remus i like it" deceit smiled

"Becides what's the chance we're both serial killers" remus joked  
Deceit laughed hard at that "i can tell we're going to be good friends" remus said slipping one of the dead flowers into deceit's pocket

End of ridiculously long flashback

Janus had got lost in thought so long that by the time he'd snapped out of it it was morning though there was adrenaline flowing through him. He had to apologise to remus right now

He made his way to the kitchen and janus was so used to remus's presence that janus knew remus was sat at the kitchen table behind him

So janus started his apology while laserfocused on making himself a coffee not quite brave enough to look remus in the eyes

"Remus i need to apologise for what I said to you last night i was tired and frustrated after dealing with the light sides but that's no excuse for what I said so you have every right to be upset or angry with me but what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry" finally turning around  
Eyes landing on remus and what he saw caused him to drop his coffee mug to the ground it smashing at his feet luckily janus was wearing shoes

Remus's outfit was different. gone were the little details(that janus loved about the outfit) such as the eyeballs and teeth replaced with a sparkly green sash charcoal black shirt and bottoms epilettes on his shoulders were silver like the streak in his hair

"You okay dee?" remus said gently pulling him away from the mess

I'm fine just a little  
surprised by your change of outfit i guess

"You like it?" i couldn't sleep and I got the inspiration for it last night

"It's certainly different" deceit said not daring to say it looked a little like roman's outfit as bringing up his brother was a sore spot for the side "I'm sorry again about yesterday" deceit said again as the side had yet to say anything

"I forgive you" remus said deceit knew it was the truth but remus said it so nonchalantly that deceit didn't quite believe it

A prince doesn't hold a grudge 

"Just like that? what i said was inexcusable"

"Yeah i get it you were frustrated with the light sides sometimes they make me want to bang my head against the wall until blood comes out my ears... er.. i mean they frustrate me too" remus said correcting himself

A prince isn't disturbing

"Remus are you alright?" deceit said placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature noticing the way he had censored himself

"Never better" remus reassured but his mind was racing.   
overwhelmed by the burning yet pleasant sensation of deceit's gloved hand on his forehead. Janus was touching him... Voluntarily. he was so conflicted he needed the touch to stop or he felt he might die but then he also felt he may die without it 

When janus pulled away after what seemed like an eternity remus had to suppress a whimper at the loss of contact

Remus took an apple from the fruit bowl and took a large but neat bite

A prince eats healthy food

"Not eating your deodorant today?" janus said confused and a little concerned remus never ate anything conventional that was one of the things that made remus remus one of the small things janus had come to appreciate about the green side

"What is this forbidden fruit? remus laughed anyway I'll see you later" he sunk out

Leaving janus alone trying to ignore the pit in his stomach that gave him the feeling something was terribly terribly wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter soon


	3. Chapter 3

Remus spent most of the day trying his best to be helpful though that was hard when the others didn't exactly trust him though after much convincing patton let him do some housework. 

It was then that remus realised just how easy it was to make mess vs cleaning mess, it didn't help when virgil knocked over the bucket of dirty water all over the floor which remus would bet an organ on it being intentional. he'd just finished remopping the floor when he felt a familiar tugging at his chest. Thomas was summoning him. the sensation familiar yet alien to him. Thomas summoned him next to never he usually just popped up whenever he wanted to bother his host with an idea.   
The idea that thomas actually needed him made him oddly nervous. He rose up into the real world 

"Hello Thomas to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" 

Thomas sighed "you don't have to be sarcastic remus I know the circumstances are less than ideal. I nearly fell off the stage at my audition earlier so my ego is bruised and roman is refusing to work with me for the rest of the day but i need to finish this script. I know this isn't your expertise but can you help me?" thomas was practically pleading with him  
" I'll give it my best shot"

By the time they had finished the script to an acceptable standard remus was pretty sure his tongue was bleeding from how often he had to bite it to stop himself from blurting out inappropriate suggestions or ideas like he usually did. it was especially hard as thomas asking him for help gave him more power than he usually had thousands of thoughts all of graphic and violent scenarios buzzing round his mind at a million miles an hour. Thomas hadn't noticed his struggle Happy that he hadn't been bombarded with the horrible ideas remus usually provided him. Quickly thanking him before remus sunk out

Sinking out to the dark side commons remus could barely stand. he was fucking exhausted. no wonder Princey bitched about getting beauty sleep being 'perfect' and 'princely' was both physically and mentally draining.

"hey" janus said noticing the others return "are you ok?"

"Yeah just tired" remus said and it definitely wasn't a lie

"That's what you get for working on projects all night" janus teased

"Yeah i guess" remus gave a slight laugh but it was painfully forced

"But seriously, get some rest i care about you"

"I will" remus said about to head to his room 

"Oh and re?" remus hummed as turned back toward janus "was it important what you were going to say yesterday? " janus asked still looking slightly guilty 

'Just my undying love for you' his mind screamed 'no biggie' 

"Not really, but maybe I'll tell you at some point"

"Goodnight j"

"Goodnight remus" janus said trying to hide his concern for his friend

Remus shut his door behind him and he was about to sink to the floor in fatigue when he heard a voice coming from his desk. His desk chair spun around to reveal roman sitting in it like it was his own throne

"Well well well, i see the game you're trying to play remus"

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic roman although it doesn't help much when i have no idea what you're talking about"

"Trying to get thomas to replace me with you"

"Does it get tiring thinking the world revolves around you?" Remus questioned" it's not my fault you refused to work with Thomas after your ego got bruised. And i took your advice believe it or not you know, '"If you want the smallest chance you're going to have to be more like me' remus mimicked the arm gesture princey usually did

" Oh. that's what this pathetic display is?"

" Remember this is a one prince palace friend" but his tone was anything but friendly "but why am I worried? " he scoffed "we both know you can't keep this up you'll crack and go right back to before your gross, loud, whiny and immature self and deceit will never love you" roman smiled punctuating every word with jabbing his finger into his twin's chest  
.  
Janus was minding his own business when pain blossomed in his chest a lie. A powerful lie at that. The lie felt like an icy cold dagger penetrating his chest. The pain had subsided as quickly as it had arrived but it still left janus a little shaken and wondering what possible lie could be so powerful (not to mention painful) and what side could tell such a lie

Roman sliced remus's sparkly sash in half before leaving. 

Late into the night remus carefully sowed the pieces back together his hands shaking from sleep deprivation and emotions threatening to spill. After he had finished he couldn't even remember closing his eyes before falling asleep but he didn't stay that way.

You see, dear reader, if a side doesn't use their function to serve their host it effects them negatively. If virgil doesn't make thomas anxious he gets a massive panic attack. If Patton doesn't help thomas with his feelings he gets emotional. If janus doesn't help thomas be a little selfish every once in a while his compulsive lying worsens

And remus well he's plagued by the intrusive thoughts and bad dreams he gives his host  
It started with the usual gory stuff but remus was so used to that he didn’t even stir  
But they changed to deceit forcing him to leave. To deceit putting his heart into a blender and the one that was far too real for remus to handle : deceit falling in love with Roman while remus was forced to watch

He woke with a start drenched in sweat and bringing his hand to his cheek he'd realised he broke a rule. 

A prince doesn't cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter can't wait to post the next one though lol
> 
> Please give me constructive feedback if you want to 😊


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really fun to write and thank you to Meaningless_Sky for helping me edit  
> Go check out their stuff i highly recommended it

A week. That's how long Remus kept up the routine before he felt like he was going to go literally insane. The low level buzz of intrusive thoughts he usually dealt with were far worse, as if the volume and intensity had been turned all the way up. His hands itched to pick up his morning star and be generally destructive, but Roman's words echoed in his mind.

‘Gross, loud, whiny immature' and ‘Deceit will never love you.' If he didn't do something, though, he'd go crazy. He needed a little time to be himself. Just a little while, he thought to himself as he made his way to his side of the imagination

His safe space. His second home. A place in which he had so many memories with Deceit.

Getting wasted on the bank of his blood lake and waiting for the sun set. Janus making up bullshit stories about the constellations (he knew the real stories but they both preferred his versions better) of battles, of grief, of two misfits in their own world and of unrequited love. It never got too sad, though, Remus throwing in his own comments every once in a while to make Janus laugh or even better, to make him blush. He looked so cute when he blushed in the low light. Remus didn't typically like ‘cute,’ but Deceit seemed to be the exception to the rule. Or when Remus would drag Janus to the Imagination to show him some new creation and they’d end up getting chased by it more often than not.

He finally made it to the door to his side of the Imagination. The door even matched his usual aesthetic making him feel a little more himself already. The door itself was blistered and stained. Black with green swirls that looked like green tentacles that could grab and pull you in at any moment. At least Remus thought it looked inviting. That had been his intention anyway.

He opened the door and instantly knew something was wrong. His side of the Imagination was shrinking, he could feel it. It was being overrun by Roman's side, colours and sounds clashing in an overwhelming blur. Remus couldn't handle it, closing the door and running back to the dark side 

Thomas apparently didn't need him anymore. He had thought the reason for his fatigue and weakness was being run off his feet trying his best to be perfect, but no...he was losing power.

Now, if Remus was thinking rationally (or at least more than he usually did) he would immediately go back to being himself and everything would be back to normal, but he'd never been the best at self preservation. Luckily, he had a friend for that.

Janus had kept a close eye on his friend's change in behaviour and he had to do something. Remus had practically gone mute around the others, he lacked enthusiasm and energy. If Janus didn't know any better, he would say Remus was avoiding him. A thought popped in his head, nearly making him physically sick

Had Remus taken his earlier words to heart? Was HE the reason his friend was acting like this?  
He shook the thought from his mind. Regardless of whether he had caused it, he needed to fix it. His eyes caught sight of the flower on his dresser and he was shocked. It looked more alive; it wasn't dried up, and the colours were ten times more vibrant. The red looked like a warning.

It was the same flower, Janus knew it was. Remus didn't know that Janus had kept the flower. In fact, every time Remus came into his room to hang out, play video games or watch his snakes for him, Janus hid it in the wardrobe to avoid Remus asking difficult to answer questions. Why he still had it, and the inevitable relentless teasing that would follow. And no, he didn't miss the irony of putting a symbol of his feelings into a closet.

He knew how he felt about Remus. The way his stomach flipped, the way his palms got sweaty, hidden by his gloves, when he saw him.

When he was naive and the feelings had first developed, he mistaken the symptoms for fear, but as he spent more time around Remus and the feelings only grew, he realised it wasn't fear, but something much more dangerous and potentially detrimental to their friendship. He'd caught feelings for the green side.

No he couldn't think that right now. He’d definitely spiral into how hopeless the situation actually was. It's not like Remus could ever feel the same way about him - romantic feelings didn't seem to be the Duke's thing. Pushing his feelings back down (like he did nearly every day) he left his room and nearly bumped directly into Remus himself. The exact side he needed to see.

"Hey."

"Oh! Sorry, Jan, are you okay?

"I could ask you the same thing. Where are you rushing off to?"

"Oh, just my room," Remus said, waving off the question.

" Well, I was thinking you seemed tense. How do you feel about a movie night? You and I could watch one of your favourite films...Coraline," he said, summoning the DVD.

Remus seemed hesitant, somehow, uncharacteristically so. "I'm not sure."

"Come on it'll be fun" please, i miss you and me" a blush spreading on his cheeks before correcting himself " us hanging out i mean.. er.. yeah so what do you say? "

God you'd think the embodiment of both self preservation and deceit would be able to hide his feelings better than that

Remus thought it over. It was one of his favourites, and it was an animated film. He could still watch it, there was no rule against that. And he could never say no to Deceit, especially when he did his puppy dog eyes. And besides! One of the rules was ‘always be courteous,’ and he would be rude if he denied him this, now wouldn't he?

Happy with the justifications with himself, he agreed.

Remus was trying to watch the film, but he kept getting distracted. Did Janus notice how close he was to him? Despite having the whole couch to themselves, Janus was practically snuggled into his side.

Not that he was complaining, he just wondered why. 

Was Janus cold? Yeah, that was probably it. They often joked that Remus was like a furnace, it being one of the many reasons him and Deceit were such good friends. Janus would come to him in the winter months when it was too cold for the cold-blooded side.

He summoned them a blanket green with yellow snakes and laid it over both of them. While summoning things usually was no effort at all, it caused a dizzy and achy feeling in his head this time, and his chest made him want to cough until his lungs exploded.

Yep; he was definitely getting weaker. 

But it was all worth it when deceit gave him a heart-meltingly sweet smile. Remus let himself relax just a little.

Janus didn't know why he did it or what made him act so impulsively and recklessly. They had watched most of the movie without incident. In fact, it had been going rather well. Maybe it was seeing the Side smile and laugh more genuinely than he had in a week that did it, because one moment he was watching the film, and the next he was kissing Remus on the lips

He pulled away as soon as it had happened. They just stared at each other, wide-eyed, not quite comprehending what had happened for a few seconds.

"I'm going to turn in," Remus said, not bothering to get a reply before bolting from the room.

"Remus wait!" Janus called out to him, but the side was gone. He pulled the green blanket closer to him and a few silent tears streaked down his face. He really fucked up.

Remus slammed the door behind him and sobs racked his whole body. This is what he wanted, though, right? No...this was the last thing he wanted to happen. Because it just confirmed what he already feared: Deceit could never love him for the way he was, and this act was literally killing him. As if to prove his point, his body retched violently and blood oozed from his mouth.

He was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you one more chapter to go  
> Hope you enjoyed  
> Conservative criticism is much appreciated


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter  
> Thsnk you to Meaningless_Sky for editing for me Couldn't have done it without them
> 
> Enjoy

Janus paced up and down his room, (that mind you, was much too small to pace in) but it did nothing to alleviate the anxiousness he felt.

It had been 3 days since the kiss; simultaneously the best and worst moment of Deceit’s life. 3 days since he'd seen his best friend. Wait. Could he even call him his best friend, or even his friend anymore? This is bad.So….so bad.

"Well, maybe you'll think twice before kissing me next time," a voice coming from beside him said.

"You're not real," he muttered, not bothering to look up. When Deceit was stressed, panicked, or generally overthinking a problem, his room provided a coping mechanism of figments of sides or a side the problem centred around. Side like host he guessed.

"Now, when has that ever been a problem? Certainly not when practicing confessions at 3 am," The figment said, only half joking.

"You're the last thing I need right now" Janus grumbled, finally glancing at the figment.

"The mind begs to differ, because you know I only show up when you need me, and clearly you do. I mean, acting that impulsively? He’d be impressed. Maybe he's rubbing off on you... just not in the way you want." The Remus figment winked suggestively at its use of double entendre.

It was such a Remus thing to do that it made Janus’s chest hurt with the thought he may never talk to the real Remus ever again.

"Instead of rubbing salt in my wounds, why don't you do what you're supposed to do and help me?"

"I'm not real, remember? It’s not my fault if you want to torture yourself.”

"How do I fix this?"

"You talk to him and you both pretend it never happened," it suggested.

"That could work, I suppose,” Janus said unenthusiastically.

"But what if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he leaves, or worse, ignores me for the rest of Thomas's life? Or just outright hates and despises me? I've fucked up. I've fucked up, I've fucked up so much,” he mumbled, beginning to pace again.

"Calm down, and here I was thinking that Virgil was the one who was supposed to represent Thomas's anxiety. But seriously, pull yourself together. I mean, if you're overthinking a kiss this much and getting this worked up, imagine what Remus, the embodiment of creativity (and here's the one to focus on right now, Intrusive thoughts) must be feeling.”

You're right,” Janus said, ignoring when the figment rolled its eyes and reminded him that it wasn't real and he was basically appealing to his own fondness for being told he was right.

"I never thought of it that way.”

"Well, empathy isn't really your strong suit.”

"You're not going to give up on your friendship with Remus just because one of you-“ (it pointed at Janus) “-did something reckless, impulsive, and stupid now, are you? Otherwise, this unlikely friendship would have crashed and burned years ago. He needs you more than ever. If anything proves that, it's the flower.”

The flower was massive, nearly hitting the ceiling with how tall it had gotten over the past 3 days. In other words, it was thriving.

"You've seen E.T., haven't you? And this flower started off dead so... Yeah.”

The pieces clicked into place, eyes widening as Janus inferred what the figment had implied.

He bolted from the room, nearly tripping over his cape in his haste. He knocked on the green door so hard he was partially surprised his hand didn't go straight through.

"Remus.” Janus didn't care whether or not his voice was shaking, or that he may be being over dramatic, convincing himself something was wrong because of a flower. He just wanted Remus to be alright, to open the door unharmed, to tell him he was being completely ridiculous. Or hell, he'd even take the slap across the face he probably deserved for kissing him just to know that Remus was okay.

The silence sent a sickening shiver up his spine.

"Remus, I don't care if you don't want to talk to me, I need to know you're okay.”

Nothing. The silence suffocating.

"Remus, if you don't give me a good reason not to come in, I'm kicking this door down whether you want me to or not," Janus said suddenly feeling very protective

"Don't. I'm okay...please don't come in. I'm...fine, really…don't worry about me," Remus said, pleading with him in a voice raspy and broken by loud coughing fits.

It didn't take essentially a human lie detector, like Janus was, to realise that Remus was lying and that he was definitely not okay.

"I'm coming in." Hewas about to kick the door like he had promised/threatened, but he found the door unlocked, so he let himself in. Deceit had seen many horrific sights upon entering Remus’s room over the years. It was second nature for Deceit to find Remus working on some creepy, odd or peculiar project, so he was no stranger to scary and trumatic sights.

But what he saw chilled him to the bone. All he had ever seen could never prepare him for what he saw.

Remus in bed, blood trailing from his mouth as he coughed it enough to shake his entire newly emaciated form. Sweat made his silver streak stick lazily to his forehead and he was so so pale (he was pale at the best of times but you could usually see life behind it) He’d seen the symptoms before with Orange... Before he... had faded away.

'Remus,” Janus said moving closer

"Get away from me,” Remus said. He didn't yell it or scream it at the top of his lungs. It was a quiet and simple request. He wasn't angry. It was painful to see the sickening concern on Janus's face. It was enough to remind Remus that janus almost loved him...almost. The most painful word ever thought up.

"If you continue to act the way you are, it's going to kill you. You’re going to fade away.” Ignoring the request, closing a little more of the distance between them, supporting himself at the foot of Remus's bed.

"At least then i don't have to stick around when you go for your happily ever after with Roman." 

"What are you talking about? "

"I saw both of you flirting with each other in the courtroom. I'm not surprised you've fallen for him. He’s a prince, and I'm...I'm not.”

“Remus….”

"I might as well tell you now, it's not like it matters. I love you. I have for a really long time.”

Janus's eyes widened. “That’s what you were going to say when I...oh god.”

“There were these big icky complicated feelings I Don't quite understand, so of course I went to Roman, and he said I had to act more like him if I wanted the slightest chance. So I did.”

Janus burnt with rage. He would have a little 'chat' with Roman later. “Remus.”

“And I guess, in a way it worked, because you kissed me, and you've never done that before. Except you didn't kiss me, you kissed an idealised version of me. A version I can't give you. You’re better off with Roman, is what I'm trying to say." Remus said, cut off by his own hand covering his mouth.

Janus released Remus, allowing his hand to drop from his face. "I'm sorry I did that, but you were spiralling and I needed you to listen to what I need to tell you. I don't love roman. I love you. The real you, the one who eats deodorant, the one who says whatever’s on their mind, the one who makes clever innuendos.”

"You can't think that. I'm gross, loud scary immature-” Remus was cut off again but this time Janus was kissing him...because actions speak louder than words, right? This time Remus kissed back because if Janus was kissing him when he looked like this (hair dishevelled, covered in blood, makeup smudged halfway across his face) it meant he loved him for him. Not some princely persona.

If Remus was still trying to be perfect and princely, he would have described the kiss as magical, Disneyesque and happily ever after worthy. But he wasn't; he could only describe the feelings in the only way he knew how.

His heart was beating so fast he thought it would burst out of his chest, decimating his rib cage and land in his hands so he could present it to Janus like a trophy, and he felt unbelievably dizzy. Not sick and dizzy, like he had. It was the same dizziness you experience when you go on the teacups at a theme park. You think you're going to be sick, but you're not, and you want to do it again and again.

They broke away from each other after so long Remus briefly considered the possibility of them risking hypoxia.

Remus looked at Janus and suddenly started to laugh

"What's so funny?” Janus asked, a little confused.

"You've got a little of my blood on you,” Remus said, carefully wiping it away.

He laughed as well. it was just so him to do that. And Janus was just so happy.

"Remus you're not gross, loud, whiny or immature. At least, not to me. We’ll make them see how amazing and essential you are. Just the way you are."

It had been a week since the 'prince-ifying' as they had dubbed it before Remus was back to his great and gruesome self, and after an awkward talk (that both parties had been reluctant to begin) they were officially boyfriends.

"You know, I’ve been thinking, you should crash Thomas's video and introduce yourself to the viewers. Not to mention reintroducing your old yet improved self to the light sides. Maybe even knock some sense into that idiot brother of yours for the way he's been acting as of late.”

"Sounds like a great idea, my sexy snake." So that's what he did, and if he dropped quite a few non-so-subtle hints about the new development of his and Janus’s relationship? Well...who could blame him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. The first mulrichaptered story I've actually finished lol this was so much fun to write  
> Thanks for the support 
> 
> As always constructive criticism is appreciated 😊


End file.
